


夜の光の小さな贈り物

by Silver Blues (Andreinightleaf)



Category: Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types, 流星のロックマン | Mega Man Star Force
Genre: A bit of bladder desperation, Bonding, Brief mentions of their past and present, Comfort, Kinda awkward comfort but it works out, Mild Sexual Thoughts, Nudity, Omorashi, Other, Pre-Canon, Watersports, a little bit of wetting, bonding?, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 10:35:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14283075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andreinightleaf/pseuds/Silver%20Blues
Summary: As it was, the last human-built locale they had to go past revealed itself; one of the amusement parks.





	夜の光の小さな贈り物

**Author's Note:**

> This was thought up for the prompt of Omovember 2017 Day 15, “in the opposite gender’s bathroom”. It also works for Day 29. Eos’ fan day was also today (4/10), so even though I’ve been writing this since last year, sounds like there was no better time to finish it!
> 
> Title (which I had trouble with): 夜の光の小さな贈り物; Night Light's Small Gift.

   It’d been hours since the sun had taken shelter to rest. Since the stars had come out to play, becoming guiding lights to this part of the planet. Shimmering quietly, peppering the dark blanketed skies, they welcomed any and all night-goers who decided to join them.

   Nighttime was a spell of mystique, a tender span, which enchanted both trekkers currently on this long road. The two had their own, similar reasons to appreciate the shaded hours; the cover of privacy it gave, how it felt as if it existed outside of the passage of time. Too many little reasons, small wonders. Eos regarded it as a longtime partner, more of a senpai than equal; it was much too grandiose for him to feel like they stood on the same ground. Tia found it one of the few things that didn’t demand stuff from her, unlike a certain someone waiting back at “home”. If he even _was_ waiting; she presumed King would not even blink if they perished now. At most, he’d find it a nuisance. Somehow… somehow, they were still going.

   And to be still going was why they were here so late at night, only now returning. Two young adults awake at this hour? Coming back from a party, others would think. Or a date. Yet, they’d never been the kind, nor did they often have the time, or energy, for such social rituals of leisure. It’d been a mission, and they were too drained to even think about others their age dancing their bodies off at discos and karaokes elsewhere.

   At least it hadn’t been the more physical kind, or else they’d be lights out by now. Which didn’t mean that going back and forth around the Funzone Square core, gathering info and talking to workers and managers, wasn’t tiring. The entire “Funzone” area and its adjacents was simply too huge, mainly for being a centre for base factories, which required lots of “free space” to sustain their work and to avoid major incidents (at least, according to them). On the side, some ridiculously expensive hotels and two amusement parks had hogged some parts of it, as well. In the end, the map was enormous paths of forests and fields, with blotches of huge facilities, and few roads connecting them all.

   They’d been able to catch a Metroline on the way to the Square, but on the way back… Well, let’s just say that such an isolated, work-centered area didn’t have public transport 24/7.

   The main road, which they’d been walking on for a while, felt slightly like a treadmill. The same street with nearly the same painting, hugged by forest in most of its breadth. It wasn’t easy to tell if you walked one kilometre, or five. You’d look to the side and have familiar-looking trees staring at you. The only signs that they weren’t lost were the occasional buildings, with tapers of fields and nearby Metroline signs. Not that one could easily lose their way in a path that only went forward or backwards, but it was a _lot_ of forward or backwards.

   “There will be only one more place to the side before a 24/7 stop.” The woman muttered, and considering the lull of the breeze against shadowy leaves and their light steps were the sole audible sounds, it wasn’t hard to hear her. Not the talkative or eloquent type, yet she felt like the man beside her was the closest she’d ever gotten to _want_ to talk to someone. Sometimes. Apparently, before he’d come along, she’d never realized there were some things she wanted to say out loud, not only think. She conversed a lot with her brother, whom she completely trusted, yet… her worry and protectiveness over him was too much, and there were things she did not wish to burden him with. It was not a matter of not being able to talk to him, but not wanting him to suffer needlessly. With Eos, it was different, for he already knew how bad things were. How the world spun. There was no hiding anything from him. The feeling of worrying about burden was not the same, since the older was _already_ burdened. It didn’t feel quite like placing more of a weight on him, like it would have been with Jack, who knows less, in a way. It felt a bit like sharing that weight, each holding an edge of it.

   It still was kind of hard to talk, though; she’d been quiet for so long. In this case, both of them had been quiet most of the trek, since they’d spent a lot of the day talking away with strangers. They’d basked in moonlit silence for a small eternity, recovering. Her ending the quietude was not exactly random; besides wanting to hear an affirmation herself that the long walk would soon be over, she’d noted her partner’s demeanour for the latter half of the journey, and wanted to remind him they’d be able to rest in not much longer, too.

   “Only one more. Isn’t that a peach.” He breathed out, forming thin and clear mist in the crisp early dawn. His eyes were crystallized night itself; the shade of the cosmos, tiny glimmers in its depths. Tia had always seen them as mystic, yet not cold. Somehow, he managed to have warmth in his moonlight gaze, whereas her sun-coloured eyes held degrees below his. Weren’t colours themselves supposed to have their own temperature? Then again, they’d always been weird fellows.

   As positive as he usually tried to be for her, for them, she didn’t blame him at all for worn patience after such a long day. Yet, he was supposed to feel a little better after resting his mind in the walk. There was probably something she was missing. “Not two, at least.”

   And they fell silent again. He tended to talk, continue the conversation, unless there was something bothering him, or he was pensive. Tia didn’t want to push it, even though she wondered what it was. They had so much dwelling in their heads, that it could be just about anything.

   Eos closed his eyes, allowing the rustle of leaves to guide him for a minute. Perhaps if they’d asked for a ride a few hours back… or, if they had the fortune to have someone else driving back at this hour… The male just wanted to return quickly. Walking didn’t bother him that much; it _had_ been a lengthy trek after a day of work, yet just placing his legs forward one after the other wasn’t a lot of trouble. At least, by itself. His discomfort actually originated from inside, in the cradle of his lower abdomen. The last time he’d relieved himself was in the morning—of the previous day. Then they were soon summoned by King, tasked with relatively mundane (but ‘important’, according to him) work in the Funzone, and the rest was history. Walking to and from storehouses and offices made him thirsty, and he’d drank plenty of water, without knowing the rest of the day would be tighter than he imagined. The first time he’d thought about a restroom, the only person around had been a janitor who’d just closed and locked the nearby factory at the end of their shift, and though the polite one offered to open a door back up for him to use it, he preferred to not bother them. So he was pointed to the nearest Funzone establishment instead—which was still far, and one of the places he had to check up on—, except by the time he’d arrived, there was no possible wait, as one of the crucial managers was just taking their leave.

   Why hadn’t they rented something like a scooter to go around this way-too-big place, again?

   When both him and Tia were done, his bladder had started throbbing. And he had thought, there’s no work anymore, so I can take a proper bathroom break. Then she arrived at the rendezvous spot, looking as drained as him, and asked if they were all ready to go back. A certain organ had protested any affirmative, but with the tired sight of the young woman, he would feel bad to make her wait. It was a bad idea, deep down he knew it was, yet he’d denied himself relief once more, swallowed, and inwardly said, _we’ll arrive soon and it will be okay._

   The time the Metroline took to go from one point to another was not at all comparable to walking time, however, and Eos just. Needed. To. Pee. Having walked all this time periodically tensing his lower half, holding in, urine swaying and teasing the chamber’s walls with each step, made the dark trees and bushes look absolutely delectable. Really, the longer they walked, the more appealing it sounded to ask his partner to wait so he could tread into the woods to relieve himself. In a way, it sounded silly, though. _You didn’t go while we were in the main sector of Funzone?_ , would be Tia’s likely question. And that was kind of stupid, yes. How events had played out—if only he’d known back then how dire the situation was right now…

   As it was, the last human-built locale they had to go past revealed itself; one of the amusement parks. Open at all times, except during scheduled maintenances, it boasted a colourful lights spectacle at night, with lamps and neon outlining storefronts, the sides of the Ferris Wheel, giant spinning hammers, among a wide variety of other attractions. To unaccustomed onlookers, the grounds of such a unique place hardly seemed human. The engineering feats, humongous apparel, flamboyant taste and design, clouded in sparkling joy and beaming brightness, gave the whole concept an otherworldly aura. As if all of it was crafted by a civilization from galaxies yonder, and neatly perched upon Earthen soil, like a rooted plant into a vase. Akin to night itself, it exuded an atmosphere of mystique, of eternity. Drawn into its glossy hypnosis, the passage of time faded into nothingness.

   Seemingly a piece of another world, unto their own. They observed the movement, lazy at this time of dawn, yet no less magical. They’d only been to one of those once, separately; a “gift” from King. It’d been many, many years since then. Now… they didn’t have as much time, or rather, thinking about going all around with the free time they had was not something entirely thought upon. They’d never asked each other, including Jack: ‘Hey, do you want to go to an amusement park?’. They hadn’t grown like “children”. Despite what the man who ‘adopted’ them gave, they’d never been normal. The toys didn’t feel the same, the trips didn’t feel the same. Behind it all, they were tasked with life-threatening missions. Bloodied hands could not, cannot, touch a plush the same way a child would.

   “Here’s the fun we’ve been missing out in the ‘Funzone’” Tia remarked dryly, although it was another half-hearted attempt at conversation, to ease her companion of whatever worries nested in his mind.

   “If only we weren’t so tired.” Was the reply, also half-hearted, but it wasn’t for lack of interest. He was kind of out of it, she could tell. Focusing on something beyond her eyes’ reach. She could… press a little, later, when they were back. Or after sleeping. Whatever it was on his mind, she didn’t want him to think she wasn’t there for him. Somehow, they had grown to talk, to share burdens, and that was the current situation. No backtracking. So… as awkward as it still was, coming from her, she’d have to make sure he knew that he didn’t need to bear anything alone.

   The park hadn’t been an option when he saw it, strange as it sounded. He’d instinctively shied away from the idea, with Tia distracting him a little, yet by the time they’d walked past the fenced entrance, his bladder gave a prolonged, sore throb which left him biting his lower lip to not whine out. It was _bad_. He was tired, his legs were _done_ , and his stretched tissue felt like a water balloon left out for too long, about to tear. Had he ever thought he would have been able to get to the base grounds like this? What was he thinking?

   Stopping was a good idea. The park was a good idea. There usually were restrooms available before the actual entrance, where you had to pay for tickets to get in. At this point of urgency, even if that wasn’t the case in this particular place, he’d be willing to part with money just for it. He _risked his life_ to get most of his earnings. He was allowed to spend it on something like this.

   In front of him, Tia hadn’t seen him suddenly tense, nor realized he had stopped, until her ears picked up a conversation she hadn’t started. “…Actually…” Eos’ voice sounded quieter this time, as if he was unsure of what he was going to say. The young woman turned her head his way questioningly, noticing embarrassment very lightly curling his lips. “Could… could we go back a moment?”

   His thighs were twitching; the purple raven would have likely noticed, were it daytime.

   She hummed silently in confusion, wondering why the request; after all, he had been the one to just note that they were too tired for this. “Changed your mind?”

   Briefly, he looked down and then away, and the nervous gestures were a clear tell of bashfulness if the shaded flush upon his cheeks wasn’t. “Ah…” The hitched sigh made her note how breathless he sounded, far more than he should be from the pace they’d been walking. “I… want to see if they have a washroom.”

   …Oh. _Oh_. A lamp suddenly lit in the younger’s brain, as if the park had shared some of its light with her. This explained why he’d been quiet—this explained why he was stiffer, looking tired even when he was supposed to have recovered some breath.

   In years past, when they’d just started working together, she’d probably just have quipped coldly, _you can hold it_. Any negatives after that would be met with her saying she would just go on alone. Somehow, her younger self was much more impatient, brattier—and now, it all seemed strangely far away. She’d spent enough time with him, his cozy presence, to understand. To know. Maybe even to… have mellowed out. As much as she would loathe to admit, and it sounded foreign to even consider it. To harden like stone was not what she would do; if he was even requesting for them to stop for this, it meant he legitimately didn’t think he could make it home.

   Wordlessly, she nodded as she walked back, with him following the same opposite direction they’d been treading—thankful, she’d caught in his eyes.

   From the road started a patterned stone path, leading some hundreds of metres into the land until the ticket vendors, and to the left, a small plaza of benches, an elevated garden, drinking fountains and (thankfully) a building of washrooms.

   “I’ll stay back here.” Tia informed, wanting more to sit for some time than anything else. She tried to not think of food; she still remembered how good amusement park snacks tasted, unhealthy and mass-produced as they still were, and making herself realize she was very close to being able to taste them would be undoubtedly bad.

   A single nod of recognition saw him off further into the tiny plaza, with the female being glad to rest a bit and seeking distraction in the grass and trees and skies.

   It was short-lived, though, as not even a minute later found him back, and she frowned. “You didn’t—”

   A heavy exhale, which sounded more exhausted in a psychic way than physical, yet all kinds of weariness were visible on him. “It’s… closed for maintenance. Normally, in such a situation, I’d get in anyway, but… the door is really locked this time, not only a sign.”

   “You mean both washrooms?” She inquired curiously, an eyebrow rising to enrich the pensive face.

   “Ah? No, only the men’s.” There was a slow blink; he’d likely have thought further on her question in any normal state of affairs, yet she imagined there was a more… pressing problem, in his mind. Or rather, another part of his body.

   “Huh. Then we’re good.” Tia stood up, ignoring the little protesting yelp of her legs. “You can still go.”

   For a few, the other simply stared at her, before it was his turn to frown. “Tia, we are right next to an active establishment.”

   “So?” Her hands comfortably found her hips. “There’s nearly nobody in the tickets, and they don’t even look here.”

   “To get into even more trouble would be—”

   “You’re in no place to argue this sort of thing. There’s just road from here until signs of life.”

   “…Washrooms aren’t the only way…” His voice turned lower, as if he was trying to convince himself more than the woman across from him. Despite the little frown, his eyes were lidded, fixed down; his hands shook, as did the other body parts she could make out.

   “You’re about to wet yourself.” She huffed, taking a trembling, gloved hand into her own and walking until said washrooms. “Water, light, toilet paper, walls, or the darkness of trees? And no place to sit, too. Just pick the comfort option, silly.”

   It took nearly all rushed steps until the door of the women’s restroom for Eos to actually realize what was happening, and then he tried to pull away from her grip, boot heels digging into the soft soil. “N—No! T-Tia, if we got into any trouble, King would—”

   “To hell with King” Perhaps she also wasn’t fully  herself, reaching with her other hand to grab his forearm. “This place’s deserted, stop worrying!”

   The older was in no state to resist or fight like that; even when he used his free arm to hold onto the wall of the entrance to keep from entering, he couldn’t muster enough strength to pull back _while_ keeping himself from bursting. With the twin pressures, he already felt his balance dangle atop a hair thread. This was… this was dangerous… “T-Tia…!”

   “I’m not leaving you out there like that” The woman growled, pulling him a tad bit stronger than he was holding on; his grip slipped, and she hadn’t been prepared for him to stumble right into her, causing both to fall to the ground. Tia’s back hit tile with a hiss from her, and Eos landed concurrently on top of her, a heavy tremor wracking his frame at the sudden impact; his control completely slipped away.

   With her bundle of dark hair having cushioned her head for the most part, the female wasn’t too dazed, so she heard the weak moan by her ear with complete clarity. Blushing before she could suppress it, not too soon afterwards there was wetness—warm wetness, touching her skirt and her hip and spreading.

   Eos was shaking _so bad_ — she made to sit up quickly, now both hands grasping his forearms, as he sat upon her thighs with eyes squeezed shut, face even more heated than hers. Liquid streamed lightly from his dampened crotch, soaking her lap, and it seemed like the visual cue was what she’d needed to jump into automatic older sister mode.

   Her arms were now around his torso, lifting him up, and it made the male jolt, glassy eyes snapping open. She couldn’t get him up entirely from this position—he was still taller—, yet it was just enough that she was able to crawl, knees-only, towards the nearest stall, dragging him with her. At the moment, she wasn’t thinking objectively; she closed the door with her ankle when she shimmied in, knelt at a medium distance from the pan, and promptly placed her partner on her lap once more, now facing away from her.

   He probably hadn’t yet fully grasped what was happening, which was fair, because neither did she. Tia simply lowered the soaked, too-tight trousers from his thighs, boxers suit, and took his length in her hand as soon as it was freed, soft and damp and mildly flushed. Years upon years of doing this with Jack—she was _aiming_ it, trying to make sure the voluminous stream landed in the pan, before she even started actually thinking.

   “…I” She tried to start, face burning, feeling a little frozen, but then the form atop her thighs went half lax, still shivering, back melding against her as he let a louder moan escape.

   Honestly, since his bladder had started protesting nonstop, Eos’ head had been a little foggy. However, nothing could compare to this intense mix of mist and awareness, his nerves ablaze with pleasure and relief. At first, it hadn’t been good at all; he’d still tried, in vain, to keep his sphincter closed and tight after the fall, and hadn’t been heeded with how weakened to numbness his muscles had become at that point. It had been painful, and awareness made sure to leave it clear that he’d lost it, that he lost it while _on top of Tia_ , no less, but—

   What became of it was _this_ , whatever _this_ was, and it was acceptable enough that he was releasing somewhere “appropriate”, so—something in his brain seemed to have snapped then, about being too worried about propriety, too worried about peeing where he was “supposed to”, in the “correct” washroom, not bother his comrade. It was all swept away by the tidal wave of relief, shattered by the warm strength holding him, against her, in her grasp. He no longer cared where he was, or the circumstances. It’d been so long since he last relieved himself… it felt so nice…

   A small mewl from him sent tingles down Tia’s spine, and she found that they didn’t stop there, and that she was much warmer than she was supposed to. Not… not only her face…

   …C... curse it.

   Eos was also very warm, very _nice_ against her, trembling lightly, breaths coming out in heavy, staggered pants of relief. The liquid pouring from his slit was, for now, thankfully landing inside the pan, but that was because he was… practically gushing. Towards the end, it wouldn’t fall in at all, and she didn’t know when that would be, either.

   Th… this was bad…

   At least, when he had to urinate when they were together, she usually could look away, cover her ears, or any combination of not focusing on it. That way, it was much easier to keep herself in check.

   Not like this. _His butt was on her crotch. He was leant against her chest. Emitting small noises of pleasure, shivering._ Every deep breath started in his front and ended in her back. **_His penis was on her hand._** _She was holding it, and she couldn’t look away from the stream, because she had to AIM it, and she could hear it, and—_

   The both of them would need a change of clothes immediately once they were back, and not only because of his release.

   Her mind was going too many places for her liking, the more she tingled with unsatisfied need, and when she was holding his intimacy right there—damn it all, it was too _big_ , the few glimpses she’d gotten and how tight his outfit was didn’t make it hard to imagine, but having her hand around it was a different feeling entirely. A plump softness she could only compare to Jack’s, because it was the only one she’d seen and touched before, and both were too unique to even properly compare. Growing up with her brother made her not even know what to do with something this large on her grasp.

   Except aiming was a sort of art, and she _did_ know how to handle most of it, so when her partner started gushing with a jolt, she scrambled to adjust the angle; it was landing too far now. “E-Eos—”

“A-ah—I’m—I’m sorry—” He panted, swallowed heavily. A shaking, gloved hand came to rest on top of hers, as if he wanted to take care of it himself, yet she didn’t fully trust his blissful state to handle it accordingly, so she half-uneasily kept her hold, and his hand didn’t do much besides stay there, as well. Their features were flushed from all sorts of reasons, and it was fair to remind themselves that they were embarrassed as all hell. There was relief and effort warming the male’s cheeks, and concern and heat on the female’s face, yet both had the bashfulness of emotional intimacy also playing a great part on the natural blushes. Not only the physical touch; it was not unlike when youngers gave cheek kisses or held hands and became as red as their skin could allow. There was something deeply invasive about the situation, though not in a necessarily negative way at all; the two had found themselves suddenly way too close in a personal space, and discomfort hadn’t quite happened. The sign that barriers had been breached was the deep embarrassment, and only they knew it, felt it. Eos was allowing her to touch one of his cores, and didn’t make any move to push her away. Tia kept him close, and still held him and helped him, despite the fact she could have stood and walked aside as soon as she had felt the touch of wetness.

   It was a tender scene, essentially. Emotion still reigned. It could have felt similar even without the exposure. However, details and spices and sprinkles delved into the situation, melded into it, and made things more interesting. Twists and knots, tugged and pulled to keep the beautiful mysteries of the mind and heart and soul, mysteries.

   A few moments later, the gush let up to become a more natural stream again, with a low sigh from the male. His counterpart placed teeth into her lower lip, found herself moistening them. Nervousness and—she wasn’t sure what to think. If she would need to say something, when this was over. She expected the silence, not knowing if she would dread it, yet it was not short in coming; the flow was not dying down.

   …Had he really kept all of that in? She’d have been finished some time ago now, and wondered, bronze eyes burning with a strange light as they fixated on it. More and more aware of the passing time. She’d tried explaining it to herself as him having a stretchier bladder—then as men having larger ones—but she scrapped those, because there was a limit to both, and the line was already gone, with Eos weakened against her, sensitive, abdomen and pelvis trembling. His eyes were closed, she imagined. It was… it probably felt really good, to let it all out.

   A hitched breath, a moaned sigh, signalized when the stream started losing strength, and Tia couldn’t do anything as the clear liquid started shying away from the pan. Her idle hand, somehow, urged to his navel, earning her a stuttered gasp and hip twitching, and oh, everything felt so warm, too warm. The flow disrupted ever so slightly, dwindling as he emptied himself, and suddenly, there was a hand on the curious one which had danced to his middle, taking it in a tender grasp. It was tight, but loving, seeking bearings as he became lost, drifting into a lake of pleasurable ripples.

   It felt like a small eternity, where lull reigned. An ethereal, courteous silence prevailed in the world around them, as their own sounds felt natural, private to their close proximity. There was fog in their feelings, yet also clearance; like how stark sensations were in the shroud of darkness, despite the struggle of vision. Both co-existed.

   The last bits of release fell entirely on her skirt, strengthless; she exhaled a shaky sigh of her own at the fresh, wet warmth against her thighs. By the stars, this was almost too much to bear. Never mind the new soaked spots on the fabric—she’d get all clothes in a state of ruin in a flash just to be able to hold him closer, maybe, and without all these things between them.

   When she sensed him tensing up his lower half, she absently imagined it was to squeeze the last out of his bladder, and—the boundaries were already blurred, weren’t they? So the hand laying on his abdomen _pressed_ , digging fingers into the skin, and the _wail_ he emitted as a result would surely haunt her—in all the good ways. It felt like he tried to merge into her, arching, quaking as little streams poured from his slit, drenching her clothes quicker. She didn’t _care_ , she just wanted it to be over, for him to not have any drop left in him and know the resulting relief from it. Damn him for being so selfless, so careless, but he must’ve been sore the entire day, so she wanted to make him feel nice if she could.

   From the way he desperately moaned with the continuous massage, it easily looked like something else. She was still rubbing the spot firmly, coaxing, and brought him _closer_ , and the hand on his penis moved to squeeze _downwards_ , directly onto her lap. The series of broken slivers and dripping made her skirt look like she’d grabbed a sea creature straight out of the ocean and laid them on her legs, but this merman seemed to have more water inside him than in his natural habitat.

   By the time there was no more dripping, just emptiness, she was sure he was crying due to the tears touching her shoulder and neck. Still shaking so much, just as when all this began, and she imagined it was from overstimulation this time. Both the lower abdomen and penis twitched, unsure if it was really over. He needed to recover, and she was… fine, with that.

   The glimmering drop resting at the slit earned her attention. She wanted to touch it—and nearly did as much, if the trembling didn’t make the light reflecting off it to shift, regaining her relative focus just before she could. _Tia, you’re awful. That’s too much for a single night. Let the man rest in peace._

   They stayed longer, ticking minutes. Him, to stop shivering, recover breath; and her trying to push the heat spell away.

   She’d half forgotten they were even waiting for anything when, for the second time that night, she was not the one to start talking. “Are you… alright?”

   His voice was slightly hoarse, carrying _something_ , and she was reminded of the noises of earlier, which just made her want to scream. _Yes, of course I’m fine. It’s not like I’m so worked up right now I need an entire fist inside of me or anything. Or even better, your p—_

   “You just peed out a gallon, and you’re asking _me_ if I’m fine?” She mostly wought to get the want off her mind, distract him from her and her… state, but she was legitimately incredulous at his selflessness, too.

   The flush which deepened on his features went all the way down his neck, and he swallowed nervously, gaze still transfixed on the ceiling. “…Y-yeah. I worry about you.”

   An inward sigh from her; such kindness. The likes which made her insides flutter a little, and _not_ necessarily accompanied by the current heat. “Feel better?”

   A half-full breath, which caused soft undulations of his form against hers. He closed his eyes. “M… Much better…”

   Which was a relief (pun intended?). If his full bladder had been nagging him the entire walk, then his discomfort from the nagging had nagged _her_ about him being quiet and unfocused. So now they could just go ‘home’ worrying about nothing but getting fresh clothes and _sleep._ Maybe eat too, actually. And mayhap worry about how there was a cute naked butt still on her lap.

   “…We should probably get cleaned up. Can you stand?”

   After taking off all that pressure, he was likely, and understandably, boneless. If he’d been in his room or hers, she’d leave him all the time in the world to recover, but the sad reality was that they were in a public restroom, and still had to go back. They didn’t have any camping equipment with them to think about settling anywhere nearby. They’d just have to keep walking the dawn away, if they could.

   “Just… give me a moment.” He breathed out, and the woman sincerely hoped that the kinda jello muscles she felt against her would regain strength once more. She was able to carry him when necessary, but not _all_ the way from here. Maybe, maybe, if he was bleeding to death. However, he wasn’t, and she was pretty sure neither of them would die if they didn’t move a finger for a few more hours.

   His legs trembled, yet moved, boots planting on the ground so he could haul himself up. Her legs felt a bit numb from barely changing positions, so she needed a little more time, as well. It didn’t stop her from trying to stand up to help him when it seemed he’d wobble back down, which made her knees protest and double as the numbness spread, so they stayed there like two clumsy ducks, kind of leaning on each other.

   The rustle of damp fabric reminded her that her partner had still been partially undressed, and she’d ask if he needed help with it in any way (that stuff probably felt even tighter when soggy), yet figured she was doing enough by keeping him sorta upright. And she probably shouldn’t make it any more awkward than it already had gotten at this point.

   Short term goals achieved: standing up and being fully garbed. They were fortunate that these stalls were roomy enough to handle both of them, besides the squatting pan, or else it would’ve been just as easy to step on it as tripping on each other. The tiles were all fun colours and kid-friendly; perhaps this was one of the manners in which King had helped them most. By sponsoring the park, the restrooms were larger, comfier, and well-cared for. They could not get over the irony of it all.

   Eos’ bashfulness came on again, once his eyes landed on the wet patches across her skirt. “I’m… really sorry I… o-on you…”

   “Just water, really. Rain would’ve been much worse.” This had been a warm touch; storms soaked and froze you to the bone. “And we deserve a hot bath after all this walking… even if we feel a little cold as we leave, it won’t matter once we soak.” She hoped she’d be thoroughly exhausted once she got there; a steaming bath coupled with the images just imprinted into her mind were not a good combination.

   The woman was out of the stall unceremoniously, going straight for washing her hands. Her companion, however, gazed at the moist floor for a few moments longer, prompting her to reassure him that it looked no different from water, and that nobody would recognize his scent. Besides, that’s what squatting toilets were also good for; cleaning was made easier by the fact the pans were at ground level. There was no need for additional washing, since the floor and pan were usually tended to at the same time.

   Ads lined the walls above tissue dispensers; incredible photos of the park and its attractions, its snacks (“the most colourful cotton candy in the island!”), and ticket deals. Perhaps she could keep them in mind for later. The ticket prices, that is—if she stared too long at the juicy food, she might end up eating grass before she arrived anywhere.

   There was a light chill on her thighs from the drenched fabric, but she’d survive. As far as she knew, they were good to go. The male was pulling his gloves back on after washing his own hands, so she started walking towards both him and the entrance.

   “…I’m sorry.”

   He was still worrying too much. “Stop apologizing.” She breathed, shaking her head. “I don’t… mind, any of this, you should just take better care of yourself. That’s all.” Her eyes flitted to him with a tinge of concealed concern, stopping at his abdomen for a moment (where _had_ all of that been stored?). “You didn’t get hurt, right? Snap something?”

   “Don’t think so.” The older muttered, fidgeting with his newly-covered fingers. If she was being honest, then he didn’t have as much to mull about. As noted earlier, if she’d truly been bothered, then she’d have left him—since the very beginning. Since he’d requested to go back. Yet here she was, still by his side, still waiting for him, having actively tried to help. It meant… so much time had passed since they’d met, yet… Looking at her now, in front of him, expectant for him to follow and make peace with himself, was the point where he realized he might have a friend. He didn’t need to brood and perhaps bottle up as much anymore.

   His nod was what eased her own mind. They left the small building without even glancing at the ticket gates, and once away from the plaza, Eos caught the slightest tint of lilac in the horizon.

   “Already that late, huh.” Was his breathy murmur. Time’s tracking had fluctuated for him; at times he felt it drag, that relief wouldn’t come quick enough; as a whole, he hadn’t paid attention at all, though.

   It brought the younger to take something in mind, herself. “…How did you manage to walk all the way here like that?” She mused; nearly as outwardly blank as always, yet veritably impressed inside.

   The personified light in the night paused for moment. “…I don’t know.” Was the chosen response; it was more explanative than the rest, since he honestly didn’t know _how_.

   Tia couldn’t help but smile, the start of a soft giggle in the back of her throat. That phrase was her own designated answer when it came to Eos; he’d always been mysterious to her in many ways, especially when they met. She hadn’t understood his compassion, or energy to do more for the sake of others. She’d seen a crimson rivulet down his hairline, all while taking scared kids out of a blazing building, and he’d seemed so powerful then. Until everyone was safe, he hadn’t stopped. And she had had no idea how bad it was until he’d leaned against her, mentioning rest, and was out cold nearly immediately. Heartless told her later that he would have passed from bloodloss without the donation of the precious life concoction they’d brought for the victims.

   And she’d asked the same thing to herself, _how?_  Where had all that strength come from? Despite the ragged physical look, she’d been led to believe he was not only fine, but great, while everything was going on. Yet all of it had been will, a vitality from somewhere— and she’d always wanted to ask that particular question. Her own answer was, _I don’t know_.

   A naked hand reached for a gloved wrist, tugging gently to coax him to walk alongside her this time, so perhaps she would notice if anything seemed amiss.

   She might not quite know now, but she had a feeling that, if they remained together, she would eventually find out.

**Author's Note:**

> I need more MM omo, please help.


End file.
